Winemaker's Notes:

The 1996 vintage of this wine was ranked #8 on the Wine Spectator's Top 10 Wines of 1999

Color: Dense, deep, almost black
The nose is still closed: black fruits, spices, chocolate.
Complex palate, long, rich, powerful, cherry, cocoa, licorice, tobacco brown, prune
This is a very big wine, full and very structured, with nice length, the tannins are very robust, with great aging potential.

About Chateau Montrose:

At Château Montrose, the terroir's potential is optimised on the basis of a very simple winemaking philosophy, summarised by Jean Bernard Delmas as follows: "wine is made in the vines and not in the winery." In other words, fine wine can only be made with good grapes. The finest terroir and best vineyard plots on the estate were identified many years ago. Vineyard work and winemaking methods are guided by a global,common-sense approach to the soil/vine/climate system.

Château Montrose overlooks the Gironde Estuary. In fact, the proximity of this vast
body of water (called locally "The River") is a major advantage. The estuary is responsible for maintaining a mild microclimate and toning down extremes of temperature. Helped by the presence of nearby marshes, it provides remarkable air conditioning in the summer while also compensating for the rigours of the winter.

The large gravel found throughout the estate’s topsoil originated in mountains in the Massif Central and the Pyrenes. These pebbles absorb the sun’s heat during the daytime and release it at night. This is an important way of improving the maturity of the grape.